


Sleep Is A Necessity

by providing_leverage



Category: In Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Eliot made coffee a thing, Eliot reading to Luke, M/M, Post in other lands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26389168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/providing_leverage/pseuds/providing_leverage
Summary: "You need to go to bed." Luke says without preamble."What? No I don't." Eliot says, emerging triumphant from Luke's desk with the needed paper."Eliot, you need sleep. And less coffee."
Relationships: Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	Sleep Is A Necessity

Eliot wasn't sure how long Luke had been standing in the doorway of their study. Probably a while, judging by the little worried frown on his face.

He probably could have continued to stand there for the whole night if Elliot hadn't needed to grab some more paper from Luke's desk since his drawer of it was now empty.

"You need to go to bed." Luke says without preamble.

"What? No I don't." Eliot says, emerging triumphant from Luke's desk with the needed paper.

"Eliot, you need sleep. And less coffee."

The way Luke said coffee, the same way he'd been saying it since he first tasted it, somehow managed to almost fully convey his utter hatred of the beverage.

The warrior had despised it since Elliot had forced him to be his guinea pig when he'd still be working on perfecting how to make it without the help of an electric coffee maker. He'd only begun to truly hate it once he realised how many more all nighters Eliot was capable of pulling while on caffeine.

Just to spite him, Eliot picks up his mug and takes a long swig of it while making direct eye contact with Luke. It's disgustingly cold because he'd been engrosed in his work for a while and had no microwave.

"Eliot, bed time." Luke's voice is a bit more insistant this time.

"Noooooo." Eliot refuses and goes back to drafting a letter to the leader of the dwarf clan north of them regarding trade with the village nearest to Eliot and Luke.

After that was done he still needed to write back to Golden and Myra and his nice new troll friend. His grasp on their language was growing steadily but those letters always took a while to write. 

"I'm sure all of them, were they here, would agree that replying to them is much less important than you getting sleep." Luke says and whoops, had he said that aloud? "Yeah you did."

Eliot admits "Perhaps I'm more tired than I thought." 

"Yes. Please come to bed. I'm going to bed."

The half finished letter on his desk was impossible to ignore. Eliot didn't like leaving things half done. "Then go to bed. I'll be up in a bit."

That's what he would tell himself anyway. But he'd finish the diplomatic letter and think writing to friends is so much easier and more fun and pick up his pen go tell Golden all about his latest attempts a gardening and before he knew it the sun would be coming up.

Eliot knows this and so does Luke. His boyfriend-partner-lover-soulmate also knows the best way to get Eliot away from his work and into bed. "Read to me?"

It was not exactly a tradition but a fun habit they'd picked up their first year out of camp. A good way to wind down for sleep and spend time together. Sometimes it was the only time they'd have together.

Luke looks so beautiful there in the doorway in his sleep pants and thin white shirt, golden wings not fully extended but not ticked tightly to his back either, eyes full of nothing but concern for Eliot and knowledge of how to manipulate him.

"Alright then loser. You win."

They put out the candles in their shared study and acend the spiral staircase to their room. 

The stone tower that they now called home had been in the Sunborn family for a long time but unused for several generations. It had taken some fixing up and the adjustment to everything being it's own floor and and the ungodly amount of stairs was still an ongoing process, but Eliot thought the view of the sun setting on the ocean from the roof was worth it.

He follows Luke up to the top floor, their bedchambers, and lingers for a moment in the doorway.

The giant bed was covered in blankets because Eliot had never quite gotten used to the cold here, even with Luke's added warmth. 

The fireplace was lit and the mantle decorated with framed black and white pictures from Eliot's camera as well as other little keep sakes. Shells, arrow heads, cool rocks, a glass figure bought from some elves. 

Stacks of books and papers, warm clothing pieces made by Michael Sunborn, sheathed weapons and the things involved in their upkeep, used mugs and wine glasses, all of these things were scattered about but also put in their proper place.

It was home, this quiet cluttered and warm space, this winged man smiling softly at him in the firelight. So far from the cold and empty house Eliot had grown up in, different from the roudy though affectionate place Luke was from, in all the best ways.

"You coming?"

Eliot realizes he's staring and remenessing and being sappy. "I love you Luke Sunborn."

Luke doesn't question it. "I love you too."

Then Eliot changes and crawls into bed. He cuddles up to Luke and once he's cocooned in gold feathers and soft blankets, Eliot takes the of this world's version of Grimms Fairy Tales and begins to read it aloud.

Luke plays with Eliot's hair and listens intently like he always does until eventually falling asleep. Eliot closes the book, tucks him in properly, then blows out the bedside candle.

It's much better than paperwork.

**Author's Note:**

> In Other Lands has been my favorite book for years and I'm only now writing for it? What is wrong with me


End file.
